How does meditation reduce stress and lower cortisol?

When you are stressed, your body runs on the sympathetic fight-or-flight system, keeping stress hormones like cortisol elevated. Slow breathing and focused attention activate the parasympathetic rest-and-digest response, which signals your body that it is safe to stand down. Research on meditation and cortisol suggests regular practice is associated with lower stress-hormone levels over time. StillMind’s practices guide that shift deliberately, helping your nervous system move out of high alert.